Is Adoption Glorified?

Question

With all these celebraties having very open & public adoptions, do you feel adoption has become a trend? or glorified ?

Answer 1

Shouldn't it be about giving kids a good home, Anjelina and Brad want these children because they love kids.  Giving them advantages they wouldn't have in their poverty stricken countries.  If a child anywhere isn't wanted, I say it is good for them to go to a loving home.

Answer 2

Yes and i don't like it. (making my pouty face now.)

Answer 3

One big name missing from the list of celeb adoptions is Nicole Richie. She was adopted by the Richie's when she was 2 or 3.

Answer 4

Well you could look at it two ways, we Adopted our nephew internationally it took over 3 years. We did'nt have Madonna or Anglie Jolie money , but the result is the same a loving family home.

Yes it maybe glorfied, but at the sametime it may well bring home to people that superstars may well want to make a difffrence to a childs life.

We would all like to think and hope that they have in there own way made a difference,Anglie is or was a UN ambassdor, Madonna a superstar bringing to light many Africian children need a good home.

Glorfied it does bring people's attention to Adoption wether a superstar or not

Answer 5

Yes, except when it's sanitized.  

I noticed a glaring omission from Happymom's celebrity adopter's list:

JOAN CRAWFORD.  She adopted 4 times, and was a single mother to boot.

Hmmmm.

Answer 6

No.... While I do have mixed feelings and WISH that Brad and Angelina would use their celebrity to bring attention to the 120,000 children waiting in the US Foster Care system.... I do not believe their intent is to Glorify Adoption...

Nor do I believe that they adopted in order to become Saints... I believe that their effort to bring attention to the issues of suffering children was a great motivator and doubt that when they are parenting they consider it a glorified situation.... The difference is that they can offer the children more then most parents of any kind ever could....

Does the fact that celebrities use Surrogate Mothers glorify adoption? or does that take away from the fact that there are literally millions of children in the world needing parents?

It seems there is very little negative attitude about celebrities intentionally causing an adoption yet, major issues when they adopt a child in need.....

Bob Hope

Ronald Reagan

and many many other celeberties in the past are also adoptive parents.

http://celebrities.adoption.com/...

Al Roker - news anchor

Alfre Woodard - actress

Alexander the Great - King of Macedonia, 356-323 B.C.

Angelina Jolie - actress

Art Buchwald - comedian

Barbara Walters - journalist

Ben Stein - actor and game show host

Bette Davis - actress

Billy Bob Thornton - actor, writer, singer

Bob (and Delores) Hope - entertainer

Brooke Adams - actress

Burt Reynolds - actor

Calista Flockhart - actress

Cecil B. De Mille - film director

Charles Bronson - actor

Chelsea Noble - actress

Connie Chung - news anchor

Dale Evans - singer

Dan Marino - athlete

Dan Wilson - athlete

David E. Kelley - television producer

Diane Keaton - actress

Dianne Wiest - actress

Donna Mills - actress

Ed McMahon - entertainer

Edie Falco - actress

Erma Bombeck - author

Estelle Parsons - actress

Eve Arden - actress

Father George Clements - minister

Gail Sheehy - writer

Gary Merrill - actor

George Burns - comedian

George Lucas - film director

Gloria Swanson - actress

Gracie Allen - comedian

Harpo Marx - actor

Harry Belafonte - singer

Hedy Lamarr - actress

Helen Hayes - actress

Henry Fonda - actor

Hugh Jackman - actor

Isabella Rossellini - -actress

Jamie Lee Curtis - actress

Jane Fonda - actress

Jane Wyman - actress

Jann Wenner - publisher

Jill Ireland - actress

Jill Krementz - author

JoBeth Williams - actress

Joan Didion - author

Joan Fontaine - actress

John DeLorean - entrepreneur

John Denver - singer

John Gregory Dunne - author

Josephine Baker - singer and dancer

Judy Woodruff - news anchor

Julie Andrews - actress

Karen Grassle - actress

Karl Wallenda - acrobat

Kate Capshaw - actress

Kate Jackson - actress

Kirby Puckett - athlete

Kirk Cameron - actor

Kirstie Alley - actress

Kris Kristofferson - singer

Kurt Vonnegut - author

Linda Ronstadt - singer

Loni Anderson - actress

Louis Gossett, Jr - actor.

Magic Johnson - athlete

Marcia Wallace - actress

Marie Osmond - singer

Maury Povich - news anchor

Meg Ryan - actress

Mercedes Ruehl - actress

Mia Farrow - actress

Michelle Pfeiffer - actress

Natalie Williams - athlete

Nell Carter - entertainer

Nicole Kidman - actress

Oscar de la Renta - designer

Ozzy (and Sharon) Osbourne - musician

Parker Stevenson - actor

Patti LaBelle - singer

Paul Newman - actor

Paula Poundstone - comedian

Pearl Bailey - singer

Peter Falk - actor

President Ronald Reagan - politician

Regina Belle - singer

Richard King Mellon - financier

Robert Fulghum - writer

Rosie O'Donnell - actress

Roy Rogers - entertainer

Sally Jessy Raphaël - talk show host

Sammy Davis, Jr. - entertainer

Sen. Jesse Helms - politician

Sen. John McCain - politician

Sen. Lloyd Bentsen - politician

Sen. Paul Simon - politician

Sen. Paull H. Shin - politician

Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchinson - Texas

Sharon Stone - actress

Sir Christopher Guest - actor

Stephen Spielberg - film director

Steven Curtis Chapman - Christian musician

Susan Ruttan - actress

Taurean Blacque - actor

Ted Danson - actor

Teri Garr - actress

Tom Cruise - actor

Valerie Harper - actress

Walt (and Lily) Disney - founder of Disneyland

William Delahunt - politician

Willie Mays - athlete

.....and Josheph the husband of Mary...

If it were some new trend these people were Setters.....

Would we even have Disneyland had the adoptive father not wanted to build it for his children?

***Added= It isn't my list (not wanting to be responsible for omissions and errors I went to a site I don't exactly always support and provided the link Below)  

I have been sitting here trying to remember her last name.... I could remember Cristina but for the life of me not Joan -- I kept thinking Collins but, know that wasn't right!

**Added: Christina has also advocated and made  many changes in adoption as a result of her life story...

There is a big difference when we add Child Abuse to the story..... Child Abuse was not recognized the way it is today back then...

ONE MORE Thing: Please don't make my little girl think I stole or purchased  her as I was not the one who gave birth in a cabin in the woods and never told anyone... She has no original BC because her birth mother did NOT go to the hospital or tell anyone she was born.... Thankfully today we have DNA and run tests in these situations before children without BC are placed for adoption.

Answer 7

I think that the public celebrity adoptions may have brought attention to adoption and maybe people who otherwise would not have thought about adoption may consider it since the spotlight was put on adoption.  

That said, there are certainly some unintended side effects.  Ethiopia is suddenly in the top 3 countries for international adoptions (from the US).  I'll guarantee you it was not in the top 20 before Brad and Angelina.  

I've said before that Madonna's adoption bothered me as the laws of the country were circumvented in court.  It concerns me that a precedent was set, that someone with lots of money and less noble motives might exploit.  

So, trendy and glorified is kind of a negative way to look at it, IMHO.  I am glad that the Hollywood attention is getting people to talk about and look into adopting, when there are so many children in the US and abroad, who need loving, safe and stable homes.

Answer 8

I do not believe that adoption is glorified. In my opinion, it shouldn't be. It should be applauded.....maybe that's a better word....but not glorified. When referring to adoption in those terms, it almost sounds like bragging rights.  

And, I don't think you can consider adoption a trend. Adoption comes up in the news more now than before, yes, but I wouldn't call it a trend. More and more people may be trying to do it these days and are doing it more these days.......but to me, adoption is not and should not be glorified.

Answer 9

Maybe a little of both...

Answer 10

Certainly not here!

Answer 11

I try not to make assumptions in celebrity adoptions. The appearance would seem that this is easy for them because they are rich and famous. But the truth might be that they genuinely want to be good parents to these children and go through the same processes we do.

I think the media glorifies it.

ETA: As for the list, so was:

Faith Hill

Barbara Walters daughter

Answer 12

I think Sunny's word -- sanitized -- is better than "glorified." I think people know about the good parts of infant adoption and international adoption, but not so much about the not-so-pretty parts. (I don't think foster care adoption is glorified/sanitized as much.)

I do not think it's a trend. There have been lots of people adopting for a long time (somebody adopted all those BSE babies) -- celebrities, too. However, I think our society as a whole is now incredibly celebrity-obsessed and will pick up and broadcast nearly *anything* they do until we're all sick of hearing it. I also think, in general, adoptive families are more open about their adoptive status than families were in the past (I mean with "the public," not with the immediate family.) You hear about it more.

Answer 13

Not on this site...trust me.

Answer 14

It's not a trend, but it is made more "happy happy" than it really is...

But I really think the celebrities are trying to do a good thing. THey are like "Wow.. I got more money than I know what to do with.. why not use that to give a good life to a child that needs a good family??" Brangelina must love kids, and so a natural way for them to share their wealth is to adopt children in need of a home.. Angelina spends alot of time in those kinds of countries.. she knows what it's like, what the people there have to live with...

Sometimes when people have alot, they feel a responsibility to share it..

At least that's what I'd like to assume. I think we should at least give them the benefit of the doubt..

And before you start off on rich people thinking that they DESERVE a baby more than a poor destitute person....unless you KNOW IN DETAIL the story behind each of those children (for example, Brangelina's kids) then you shouldn't make assumptions.. THose kids could have genuinely been in need of a home and had next to nobody.. You don't know (I'm assuming)

My point is, cut them some slack.. If I was rich I'd try to use my money to help people..

And none of this is because I'm a fan of Angelina or Brad, per se. THere's not really any celebrities I "idolize" but I tend to think they're trying to do a good thing, and I give a "nod" to that.

Answer 15

I do think that adoption has become a "cool" thing to do because celebrities are doing it.  There have been young people on YA saying that they want to adopt when they are old enough.  Why wouldn't you have your own children if you could?  Or maybe they want to be like Angelina Jolie and do both - save children from all over the world and have biological children.  I wish that Angelina would adopt American children out of foster care.

Answer 16

I don't think so. I think most people that adopt do it because they really really want to have a child. A lot of people that try to adopt physically can't have children. It's just not something to do cause you saw a celeb on tv doing it.

Answer 17

Yes very.

It makes others think that adoption is something that is easy to cope with, which is unfair and not true

Answer 18

yes, and yes.  absolutely glorified and super trendy.

Answer 19

i think that it makes it hard for people who really do want to do adoptions with kids from all over not to fall into being labeled as clique. ever since i was way younger i've wanted to adopt kids from all over. but now it's almost like people will see that as Angelina Jolie.

Answer 20

If a couple cannot have children- and they really desire children, I feel that they would seek to adopt.   Granted, with adoption being so in the spotlight now, with Angelina and Brad etc- it may be getting more attention, however I honestly don't think that that is a bad thing.  There are many birth moms that cannot for whatever reason raise their children, so if there are more adoptive parents willing to adopt that is a good thing.- also would have more for those children in foster care.  Adoption , if done for the right reason, can be good for all involved.

Answer 21

Yes in some respects I do think it has been glorified.

All the cliches irritate the h**l out me....it's insulting.

It has been made a trend by celebrities looking to promote their image.....I refer to it as the "saint" complex.

I need to save the world cause I am guilty I am so rich!

Answer 22

Sunny, at least a couple of those children Joan Crawford adopted came from the Tennessee Children's Home Society, which was a notorious black market adoption ring in the 1930s and 1940s. She adopted Christina, who went on to write "Mommie Dearest" and the twins Cathy & Cynthia. As for the son, nobody knows for sure where he came from. He had no birth certificate and Christina said she believed Joan bought him.